Site Logo

Homer Middle skiers place 1st, 2nd at borough meet

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 11, 2026

By Delcenia Cosman

The Homer Middle School boys Nordic ski team earns second place at the borough championships by time on Feb. 27, 2026, at Lookout Mountain Ski Trails in Homer, Alaska, with Ike Mitchell (pictured, front) in second, Torrin Bartlett in fourth, Halsey Turner seventh, Declan Gaylord eleventh, Lupin Piedra-Pine thirteenth, Soren Sloth sixteenth and Evan Marroquin seventeenth. Photo courtesy Andy Rothenberger
1/2

The Homer Middle School boys Nordic ski team earns second place at the borough championships by time on Feb. 27, 2026, at Lookout Mountain Ski Trails in Homer, Alaska, with Ike Mitchell (pictured, front) in second, Torrin Bartlett in fourth, Halsey Turner seventh, Declan Gaylord eleventh, Lupin Piedra-Pine thirteenth, Soren Sloth sixteenth and Evan Marroquin seventeenth. Photo courtesy Andy Rothenberger

The Homer Middle School boys Nordic ski team earns second place at the borough championships by time on Feb. 27, 2026, at Lookout Mountain Ski Trails in Homer, Alaska, with Ike Mitchell (pictured, front) in second, Torrin Bartlett in fourth, Halsey Turner seventh, Declan Gaylord eleventh, Lupin Piedra-Pine thirteenth, Soren Sloth sixteenth and Evan Marroquin seventeenth. Photo courtesy Andy Rothenberger
The Homer Husky girls team takes first place at the Nordic Ski Borough championship meet on Feb. 27, 2026, at Lookout Mountain Ski Trails in Homer, Alaska. Photo courtesy Andy Rothenberger

Homer Middle School hosted the Kenai Peninsula Borough championship freestyle race at Lookout Mountain Ski Trails on Feb. 27, competing against Skyview Middle School, Kenai Middle, Chapman School and Cook Inlet Academy. The Homer girls team took first place, and the boys team took second by time.

The Huskies also had strong individual performances, head coach Andy Rothenberger said, with eight of their 12 entries placing in the top ten. In the girls’ race, Maggie Lints came first, Sophie Williams fourth, Eiko Olson sixth and Alanna Rustand ninth. Maren Steen placed fifth in the beginners race. The boys’ race had Ike Mitchell in second, Torrin Bartlett fourth and Halsey Turner seventh.

“Our athletes and volunteers put an incredible amount of effort into making each ski season happen, from scheduling drivers each day to drive the 40-minute round trip to Lookout Mountain Ski trails, to the volunteer coaches that work with each skier where they’re at,” Rothenberger wrote in an email to Homer News on March 5. “We improved a lot this season in such short time because of our volunteer effort. I’m so grateful and proud of our athletes and volunteers, representing a strong and supportive ski community in Homer.“

2026 Kenai Peninsula Nordic Ski Freestyle Results

Girls Race

1. Maggie Lints, Homer, 10:24; 2. Tayla Darr, Kenai Middle, 10:59; 3. Harper Madrid, Kenai, 11:20; 4. Sophie Williams, Homer, 11:30; 5. Heather Phillips, Kenai, 11:51; 6. Eiko Olson, Homer, 12:07; 7. Olivia Rinke, Skyview, 12:13; 8. Olga Hipchen, Skyview, 12:17; 9. Alanna Rustand, Homer, 12:39; 10. Tayla Cole, Kenai, 12:57; 11. Luna Felt, Kenai, 13:20; 12. Rox Shafer, Chapman, 13:37; 13. Teagan Burns, Skyview, 14:00; 14. Elliet Rininger, Kenai, 14:57; 15. Natalie White, Kenai, 16:02; 16. Anja Stevenson, Skyview, 16:23; 17. Isabella Coffell, Kenai, 16:44; 18. Emma Wood, Skyview, 17:19; 19. Camilla Roberts, Kenai, 17:46; 20. Arielle Dera, Kenai, 19:57.

Boys Race

1. Ethan Anderson, Skyview, 8:44; 2. Ike Mitchell, Homer, 8:50; 3. Colton Tuia, Skyview, 8:58; 4. Torrin Bartlett, Homer, 9:54; 5. Brayden Tuia, Skyview, 9:59; 6. Brendan Frey, Skyview, 10:20; 7. Halsey Turner, Homer, 10:26; 8. Grayson Cassidy, Skyview, 10:27; 9. Nick Rice, Chapman, 10:37; 10. Logan Nielson, Skyview, 10:52; 11. Declan Gaylord, Homer, 11:02; 12. Gideon Blum, Kenai, 11:28; 13. Lupin Piedra-Pine, Homer, 11:48; 14. Michael Smith, CIA, 11:54; 15. Rowan Smith, Kenai, 12:08; 16. Soren Sloth, Homer, 12:09; 17. Evan Marroquin, Homer, 12:17; 18. Tripp Sexton, Kenai, 12:30; 19. Malakai Abel, Skyview, 12:42; 20. Ben Wallace, Kenai, 12:47; 21. Kai Sheilds, Skyview, 12:51; 22. Monte Smith, CIA, 13:40; 23. Rowen Wetzel, CIA, 14:08; 24. Clay Walter, Skyview, 14:16; 25. Nathan Nelson, Skyview, 14:32; 26. Talon Colton, Kenai, 14:56; 27. Kaeden Mannhardt, CIA, 15:23; 28. Griffin Rinearson, CIA, 16:04; 29. Peter Downum, Skyview, 16:21; 30. Joseph Puffinberger, Kenai, 16:36; 31. Noah Magee, Chapman, 16:44; 32. Blake Stein, Kenai, 17:08; 33. Declan Poindexter, Chapman, 17:45; 34. Levi Hand, Skyview, 18:53.

Beginners Race

1. Ally Gardener, Skyview, 9:18; 2. Sonnet Smith, CIA, 9:58; 3. Alex Wininger, Skyview, 10:20; 4. Gaia Tabor, Skyview, 10:27; 5. Maren Steen, Homer, 10:58; 6. Aurora Swaby, Skyview, 11:34; 7. Annabeth Dura, Kenai, 11:46; 8. Bella Lopez, Kenai, 12:09; 9. Erik McBride, CIA, 12:21; 10. Shae Main, Kenai, 13:11; 11. Max Christenson, Skyview, 13:45; 12. Alex Vaudrin, Kenai, 18:40; 13. Opal Keen, Kenai, 19:55.

You Might Like